N44XL – ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 – 2015-09-22 NTSB Accident Report

On September 22, 2015, a Robinson Helicopter R44 (N44XL) was involved in an incident near West Palm Beach, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The flight instructor's improper use of pitch control during a demonstrated 180 degree autorotation which resulted in damage to the tail boom.

The helicopter flight instructor reported that during a local instructional flight, he was demonstrating a 180 degree autorotation to the ground. The flight instructor reported he entered the autorotation and everything was normal. During the flare, too much aft cyclic input was used and the helicopter touched down on the heels of the skids. The flight instructor reported the touchdown was not excessively hard or uneven. A post flight examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade had contacted the tail boom, causing substantial damage to the tail boom.

The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA15CA280. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N44XL.